Psychrometric charts
BG 87/2024, Useful Information Guide, written by Chin Hang “Kay” Lam and published by BSRIA in 2024, defines Psychrometrics as: ‘The study of the properties of moist air, including properties such as relative humidity, dry bulb temperature and wet bulb temperature.’
Psychrometric charts are complex graphs that can be used to assess the physical and thermodynamic properties of gas-vapour mixtures at a constant pressure. They are often used to assess the properties of moist air. This can be useful in the design of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems for buildings, and psychrometric charts often include a zone in the middle that represents the range of conditions that people find comfortable under different circumstances (such as summer and winter).
Typically, the properties represented on psychrometric charts are:
- Dry-bulb temperature: A measure of air temperature recorded by a thermometer exposed to the air but shielded from radiation and moisture.
- Wet-bulb temperature: The temperature recorder by a thermometer that has its bulb wrapped in cloth and moistened with distilled water. The rate of evaporation from the wet bulb, and so the temperature it records varies depending on the humidity of the air it is exposed to.
- Relative humidity: The ratio of the actual vapour pressure relative to the vapour pressure of saturated air at the same temperature, expressed as a percentage.
- Specific volume: The volume of a unit weight of dry air.
- Dew point temperature: The highest temperature at which water vapour will condense.
- Humidity ratio: The dry-basis moisture content of air expressed as the weight of water vapour per unit weight of dry air.
- Enthalpy: The energy content of air.
The state of moist air can be determined from any two of these properties, from which all other properties can then be determined.
Atmospheric pressure varies with altitude and so a number of psychrometric charts are available for different atmospheric pressures, however, for altitudes of less than 600m the sea-level psychrometric chart is often considered adequate.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
Featured articles and news
Delayed, derailed and devalued
How the UK’s planning crisis is undermining British manufacturing.
How much does it cost to build a house?
A brief run down of key considerations from a London based practice.
The need for a National construction careers campaign
Highlighted by CIOB to cut unemployment, reduce skills gap and deliver on housing and infrastructure ambitions.
AI-Driven automation; reducing time, enhancing compliance
Sustainability; not just compliance but rethinking design, material selection, and the supply chains to support them.
Climate Resilience and Adaptation In the Built Environment
New CIOB Technical Information Sheet by Colin Booth, Professor of Smart and Sustainable Infrastructure.
Turning Enquiries into Profitable Construction Projects
Founder of Develop Coaching and author of Building Your Future; Greg Wilkes shares his insights.
IHBC Signpost: Poetry from concrete
Scotland’s fascinating historic concrete and brutalist architecture with the Engine Shed.
Demonstrating that apprenticeships work for business, people and Scotland’s economy.
Scottish parents prioritise construction and apprenticeships
CIOB data released for Scottish Apprenticeship Week shows construction as top potential career path.
From a Green to a White Paper and the proposal of a General Safety Requirement for construction products.
Creativity, conservation and craft at Barley Studio. Book review.
The challenge as PFI agreements come to an end
How construction deals with inherited assets built under long-term contracts.
Skills plan for engineering and building services
Comprehensive industry report highlights persistent skills challenges across the sector.
Choosing the right design team for a D&B Contract
An architect explains the nature and needs of working within this common procurement route.
Statement from the Interim Chief Construction Advisor
Thouria Istephan; Architect and inquiry panel member outlines ongoing work, priorities and next steps.
The 2025 draft NPPF in brief with indicative responses
Local verses National and suitable verses sustainable: Consultation open for just over one week.
Comments
Who is the author of this article? I cant find the name.
Designing Buildings Wiki is a wiki site – articles are developed over a period of time by our users. As such, there is no specific author. To reference an article on the site, just reference Designing Buildings Wiki as the publisher, and the date that you accessed it.